


keep it on the low!

by haesuns



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arcades, Banter, Denial of Feelings, Exes, Flirting, Getting Back Together, Kinda, M/M, Mutual Pining, everybody loves park jisung, i promise they didnt break up on bad terms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23923261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haesuns/pseuds/haesuns
Summary: "I thought you were over him.""I was," Jaemin huffs, shifting to the side. "Iam. We aren't flirting, that's just how we talk. It's not bad to be on friendly terms with your ex."
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Na Jaemin
Comments: 40
Kudos: 207





	keep it on the low!

**Author's Note:**

> i have been thinking about love again all day especially nahyuck bridge rap so i present the product of me losing my mind

"Hey, Donghyuck. I know this might seem a bit sudden, but do you think—ah, I'm _screwed—_ "

Jaemin sighs, propping his hand on his chin and setting his phone facedown on the counter.

"Stop rehearsing pickup lines with the stuffed toys," calls Renjun from the storage room, and Jaemin resists the urge to plant his face against the display case glass. He can feel the scorn from the jumbo size teddy bear's round eyes and groans, smacking a hand against the counter with a little too much force.

"I'm not rehearsing pickup lines," he complains.

"Really? Because as far as I can tell, you've been flirting with Donghyuck every time he comes to exchange his arcade tickets for prizes, and neither of you are subtle." Renjun emerges with a small box, tapping his shoulder in a gentle _move, please_ gesture as he unlocks the display case. "I thought you were over him."

"I was," Jaemin huffs, shifting to the side. "I _am_. We aren't flirting, that's just how we talk. It's not bad to be on friendly terms with your ex."

Renjun gives him a look from where he's unloading the sticky hands, and Jaemin very pointedly focuses on the box's label instead of his face. In garish primary colors: _Sticky Hands! The toy for a sticky situation!_

"You know that's not what I meant." _Defensive_ , sing-songs the mini Renjun in his head, speaking the truth that real Renjun doesn't say out loud. "Also, friendly terms?’ What changed?"

Jaemin sniffs. “Maybe if we worked the same shift more often, you would know.”

A glare.

“Okay, fine. He’s just been coming to the arcade more often with Jisung, and it’s not like I can avoid talking to him,” concedes Jaemin.

The arcade in question, Bullet Arcade (a strangely hardcore name), has become the favorite of The Best Kid To Exist—Park Jisung, the absolute delight—which, unfortunately, entails a package deal: Lee Donghyuck, who _also_ holds an extreme amount of affection for Jisung. Jaemin will admit that he may feel an ounce of envy when he sees them hanging out together while he has to work. Miniscule, really, not enough to be a problem.

(It is very much a problem for multiple reasons. Jaemin can't quite pinpoint why.)

“Come on, Jaemin, it’s okay to be into him again. Besides, you haven’t talked properly since what, high school?”

_Into him?_ Ridiculous. “He broke my heart.” Jaemin takes a sip of his milk tea and pouts.

“Don’t be dramatic, he had to move and ended up moving back.”

Loath as he is to admit it, Renjun is right. The situation was out of their hands, things were difficult, it wouldn’t hurt to reconnect, yadda yadda, yeah? Until—

"Hey Renjun, Jaemin," greets a familiar voice suddenly from the arcade entrance. Jaemin whips his head up faster than when he pretends to not be asleep on his shift, and the sight of one (1) Lee Donghyuck fills his vision. Jisung somehow manages to pop out from behind him despite his height, and Donghyuck slings an arm around Jisung's shoulder.

Jaemin is very unsure how to take his presence. Bond over mutual affection for Jisung? Put his foot down and demand custody?

"Oh my god! Look at the time," exclaims Renjun, glancing at his very clearly watch-less wrist. "I have to, uh, yeah. Good luck, Jaemin! Have fun, guys!"

And with a clap to his shoulder, Jaemin is left to watch Donghyuck and Jisung enjoy themselves in his misery.

Jaemin drags his hands down his face and peers through his fingers at Donghyuck, and it just makes _sense._

God, that's why. Duh. Problem One: Donghyuck is hot.

Like, he's always been cute and attractive. But this isn't high school anymore, and Jaemin feels like his eyeballs are going to fall out if his face from sheer overwhelming emotion.

Case in point: what the fuck. Donghyuck's hair is a normal brown, but it suits him, _and_ he's grown it out more than usual. It looks painfully soft, and Jaemin could cry.

It's got a nice swoop to it. And this is coming from someone who prides himself on his hair swoops.

No normal human being gives themselves an eyebrow slit. Unless you're Donghyuck, of course. And the ripped pants with tatters up to his thighs? It's like he looked in the mirror and decided to ruin Jaemin's life on this day specifically. What happened to the good days of sweatpants and hoodies?

He overhears Donghyuck suggest that Jisung try and break Chenle's record on Dance Dance Revolution, as if they didn't try to do the exact same thing last week without success. And for a dancer, Jisung is astonishingly bad at DDR. He denies Donghyuck profusely, Donghyuck laughs, and it's at this moment in which Jaemin realizes he's _staring_.

This happens every goddamn week.

It's like crossing off a checklist: Jaemin ends up staring. Donghyuck stares back for a few seconds before ignoring him to keep Jisung company—an understandable and honorable endeavor. At some point, Jisung mysteriously disappears and Donghyuck approaches the counter, they talk very briefly, and Jaemin feels his sanity crumble slowly.

Oh, but they haven't gotten to the latter steps yet. It's just a matter of agonizing as he waits.

But today is different! Today, Jaemin will become the person his Animal Crossing jock villagers think he is and make things work in his favor. He's gonna puff up his chest, put on the look, and—

"You're staring."

Ah. Donghyuck is opting for the Extreme _Sports: Poorly-Masked Flirting (Speedrun Edition)_ course of action. Honest to god, Jaemin has no idea when he even walked over.

(Yes, he's come to terms with the fact that they flirt. His brain gives a half-hearted whoop of encouragement.)

"I am," Jaemin replies. He manages to make it sound Not Stupid, and Donghyuck raises an eyebrow. Life is truly unfair; Jaemin is stuck in a stupid, boring employee uniform while Donghyuck looks like _that_. What's so interesting about a black polo and jeans?

"You look different. New hair?" observes Donghyuck, tilting his chin up toward said hair. "Blue suits you."

Jaemin is sure he's also gone through some intense mental transformations in the past few minutes, but he files that away for later. Searching Donghyuck's face through the neon lights, he tries to make out any trace of ridicule and turns up empty-handed.

"Thanks, I got it dyed over the weekend."

Silence falls over them, and Jaemin can hear the distant grunt of zombies from the hack-and-slash game next to the Piano Tiles machine playing Chopin. How atmospheric. Donghyuck blinks, eyes shiny and lazy, and he takes a sip of Jaemin's milk tea faster than Jaemin could say _I'm still not over you_. A scrunched-up expression follows.

"I don't know what I expected other than 100% sugar, dude," mutters Donghyuck over the distant clamor, a smile of fondness painting his lips, and he sets the cup down. Something about it eases a bit of Jaemin's tension. What exactly is it?

'Dude.' Bros. He can handle being dudebros.

_But you don't want to be_ just _dudebros._

Hush, conscience.

No, maybe it's the familiarity, the classic Donghyuck smile that never fades, the slight rasp to his voice when he laughs and speaks that has wormed its way into his heart over the years.

Or perhaps it's the way his aura still carries that charm, all the way from their meeting in the first year of high school to now. Quiet but captivating, with a witty edge that just makes him irresistible.

_Go ahead, Jaemin. Keep waxing poetic mentally, I'm sure it'll get you somewhere._

"I've actually been trying to get new flavors and variations, but you caught me at the wrong time," laughs Jaemin, pulling the cup back over to himself and swishing its contents with the straw. He takes a sip as his mind unhelpfully supplies, _indirect kiss!_ , and Donghyuck eyes his lips. Just for a second.

"What, is it suddenly too sweet for you? Didn't take you for the type," Donghyuck quips, and Jaemin's Leo Brain immediately points out the fact that this is a challenge of sorts—albeit, an absurd one.

"Even 100% sugar isn't as sweet as you."

It's perfect, the way Donghyuck's jaw drops, cheeks rosy as he stares in disbelief.

"You've gotten daring," he quips in an attempt to cover his failing composure, but Jaemin sees right through it. Not to say that Jaemin has it together, either, because he very much does not.

"I just wanted to see how you'd react. And honestly, I'm glad you aren't utterly disgusted." It's a sudden confession, and Donghyuck gives him a sharp laugh, face lighting up in an instant.

"Your flirting is still the same as when we first met, then."

"So we're acknowledging that that's what this is, now?" he asks, red straw paused midway to his mouth.

"No other way around it," Donghyuck says with a shrug.

Which brings Jaemin back to the list of problems. Problem two: Donghyuck, for all of his sharp wit and daring jabs, is always genuine and earnest with everything he puts his mind to.

It's not that this is a bad thing, of course. It's just a persistent reminder that Jaemin is undeniably, irrevocably still stuck on Donghyuck and everything he loves about his personality.

Yep, stuck. Kinda like the sticky hands in the prize case.

... Strange comparison.

"Is this your roundabout way of saying you miss me?" asks Jaemin, lacing his hands together and resting his elbows on the counter.

Donghyuck pauses for just a moment, finger tracing against the glass as his eyes flick downwards. "Something like that."

It's a revelation that nearly makes Jaemin's heart stop, because the last thing he expected was for Donghyuck to actually agree with his words. And although his heart doesn't stop, it gets a little harder to breathe, and Jaemin feels warmth blooming on his own cheeks.

"Are you sure?" he stammers, throat suddenly dry. "I know it's been a while, and I didn't want to spring anything up on you out of nowhere because—"

"Jaemin hyung!"

Jisung's voice cuts in, the boy in question jogging over from where the skee ball machines are lined up. Local arcade fiend Zhong Chenle materializes at his side with a bag of barbecue chips, hovering in the periphery of Jaemin's vision.

"Hey, Jisung!" Jaemin says it with a smile that probably looks more flustered than anything. He's not upset at Jisung, it's not like he knew they were talking about Things, but he also doesn't want to embarrass himself. "How's it going? Has Chenle tried making you play any horror games yet?"

The mere mention makes Jisung look like he's on the verge of breaking into a sweat, but he grins and shakes his head regardless.

"No, we were just playing air hockey for snacks. Are you guys catching up? Still trying to beat Donghyuck hyung's record on that motorcycle racing game?"

Donghyuck's head snaps back around to Jaemin with a very blatant _what the hell_ look in his eyes, and Jaemin's smile goes sheepish.

Right. He didn't know about that.

"Ah, Jisung, no luck this week." Maybe if the entirely fabricated competition involved rhythm games, but that's beside the point. "I take it you lost, then?"

With a pout, Jisung nods and eyes the potato chips, tilting his head. "Yeah, but it's fine, we only meant to stop for a few games. We're about to go out to eat, though, so we have to leave before the tables get all packed. Take care, hyung!"

Just like that, Chenle pulls Jisung out of the arcade by the hand, leaving just Donghyuck and Jaemin at the counter all over again.

"Breaking my record, huh?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Keep dreaming, Na Jaemin," hums Donghyuck, leaning over the counter just an inch too close. "But anyway, where were we?"

"You missed me?" Jaemin prompts, earning himself a scoff.

"No, you were gonna say something." Donghyuck's got a smug look now, and what more is there for Jaemin to do other than admit defeat?

No better time than now.

"Want to hang out, then? Grab lunch together again?"

With a knowing smile, Donghyuck taps the back of Jaemin's phone and raises an eyebrow.

"It's a date. Text me. I know you don't delete your contacts."

And as Donghyuck's about to step out of the arcade into the evening air, he turns back with twinkling eyes, and Jaemin's heart swells in a way he had almost forgotten.

"Oh, and Jaemin?"

He smiles, warmer than any sensation Jaemin has felt in his life.

"I'll see you there again."

**Author's Note:**

> loosely based off of the first love trilogy by nct dream, but mostly love again! thanks for reading! i dont know if there are typos honestly so here's to hoping there aren't 💖 also shoutout nova for giving me a random arcade name
> 
> haesunns on twt and curious cat


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